our take on pop culture, live events, and whatever else we can think of…

Your JavaScript is turned off!

Some portions of the TN Team Blog rely on JavaScript in order to work properly. To get the full blog experience (including posting comments), please enable JavaScript on your browser. If you need help, please click here for instructions.

My first introduction to Arcade Fire's Reflektor was through an enchanting self-titled music video, nearly eight minutes of black & white footage that read much like a short film. Cinematic is an appropriate term when describing the sound of Arcade Fire's latest album Reflektor as a whole, every vaulted track materializing a story one has to imagine could easily be adapted to the screen.

Reflektor's cinematic qualities and large sound packs an unshakable confidence behind it. Just when things threaten to spill over into an unmanageable chaos, the instrumentation finds order in the storm. That type of control is something Arcade Fire has worked long to master, but it certainly doesn't hurt to be working with David Bowie throughout the process of recording.

I mentioned in my post on Friday that I was on my way to see the Backstreet Boys and I wasn't lying. I am wholeheartedly (still) a Backstreet Boys fan and their show in Camden, NJ on Friday, Aug. 16, marked my 10th Backstreet Boys concert. I had pit tickets, as well as their Gold VIP Package. So how'd it go? Was it worth it? Am I full of regret for how much money I spent on just one evening? Am I just really embarrassed that I'm an adult and this is my life?

Update 8/13/13: This review originally incorrectly identified the actors in the roles discussed below. The article has been updated. Thanks to the commenters who pointed out the mistake.

About a week and a half ago I was in Philadelphia for my cousin's wedding, and spent the following day doing some sightseeing. It was raining the entire day, so me and the group I was with decided that we should go see a show at night. It so happened that Wicked was playing across the street at the famous Academy of Music, so we bought some tickets.

I wasn't there specifically to review the show, of course, but I committed as much of it as possible to memory, and then wrote the first draft of what's below the next day as I traveled to Williamsburg, VA.

Warning: This review contains major spoilers for the show, so if you haven't seen it and don't wish to know anything about it, turn back now!

Over the weekend, Penn and Teller stopped by the MGM Grand Theater at Foxwoods Resort Casino in Mashantucket, CT. I bought tickets to this event for my boyfriend as part of his Christmas gift, after he went through a phase where he was marathoning the duo's Showtime program with a name that's somewhat inappropriate for this blog. (It sounds like "bull pit" though!)

Personally, I've never had strong feelings about Penn and Teller one way or another. Prior to Saturday, I knew only what I'd gathered from half-watching their show. I knew I liked their logo, a red ampersand. I also knew one of them was super tall and loud, while the other was short and silent. I did not know who was who and my understanding of their schtick was that they sort of did magic (maybe?) but they really liked trying to dispel myths about things.

Here's what I, a semi-indifferent viewer, thought of the show (and if you want to see a review of their Vegas show, check out Mike's piece!):

The voice of a generation

Robert Zimmerman, also known as Bob Dylan, is one of the greatest musicians with a career spanning over fifty years and 35 albums behind him. In the early sixties, Dylan became the voice of his generation; his music connected folk, blues and traditional music, transferring a message of freedom while opposing hypocrisy and the rule of "the man". His beginnings were defined by pairing the acoustic guitar and harmonica, accompanied by his distinctive vocal style. Just as the audiences started accepting his musical expression and status as a protest singer, Dylan did a sudden stylistic turn. This turn was first exposed on Bringing It All Back Home, an album widely criticized at the time.

Pages

Disclaimer

The TN Team Blog and other social media platforms where TicketNetwork.com’s content team posts content including, but not limited to Facebook, Twitter, and Google+, are written by the TicketNetwork.com content team. The views expressed do not necessarily reflect those of TicketNetwork Inc. Any trademarks remain the property of their respective owners; the appearance of trademarked terms does not indicate any association with TicketNetwork.com or TicketNetwork, Inc.

The views, opinions and positions expressed within guest posts are those of the author alone and do not represent those of TicketNetwork or its employees. The accuracy, completeness and validity of any statements made within guest post articles are not guaranteed. TicketNetwork accepts no liability for any errors, omissions or representations made in the guest blogger postings. The copyright of the guest blogger’s content belongs to the author and any rights or liability with regards to alleged infringement of the author’s work is between the alleged infringer and the author and not TicketNetwork. Please note that guest bloggers are not paid by TicketNetwork for blogging content.